Heard and unblurred

That’s what Jessica Greer Morris says is happening in light of the prevalence of sexual assault in the United States.

The Executive Director and Co-Founder of Girl Be Heard, a nonprofit theater company that advances the stories of young women, Greer Morris is eager for audiences to experience the group’s latest offering, Blurred Lines.

The show, which can be seen until February 19 at HERE, a performance space located on Sixth Avenue in Soho, trains the spotlight on the normalization of rape culture in contemporary society, and on the challenges young women navigate in U.S. colleges, where one in five women experience sexual assault.

“These really are stories and struggles that we all have,” said Greer Morris. “It’s a universal problem.”

Blurred Lines is an ensemble theater piece written by Girl Be Heard cast members, based on research experiences with real-life sexual abuse victims.

Girl Be Heard got its start in 2008, when 12 teen girls from diverse racial and economic backgrounds were enlisted to write and perform their own theater pieces.

Since then, the group has written and staged numerous shows, and has garnered national attention for its work, and was the benefactor of a fundraiser with Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda in April 2016.

There are now more than 200 members of the theater group, which primarily services young girls ages 12 to 21.

Betsey joined the group in 2011.

“I now have a sense of family,” says Betsey.

“I was born in the Dominican Republic,” she says. “As a little girl, writing and acting was an outlet, especially since home was everything but safe. I was facing abuse and personal demons from a young age, and the stage was my escape.”

Her work with the group has proven healing and empowering.

“I now have a sense of family where I feel supported and, most of all, loved,” she explains. “This organization has given me new life by giving me the space to breathe, yell, sing, write, dance, [and] laugh.”

Greer Morris said the show is intended to take the shame out of talking about sex and sexual assault, and pose blunt questions.

“It navigates how we define consent,” she said. “No means no. Does yes always men yes? What if a person is intoxicated? Too many times, these issues are ignored in our society.”

For Greer Morris, the hope is that Blurred Lines will bring such issues out in the open. While sexual violence is sometimes glorified in song lyrics and video games, the prevailing culture is usually one of silence.

“Young people are having sex before they talk about sex,” she remarked. “People don’t have conversations. Using theater as a vehicle really brings back humanity. It’s important to have a conversation about it.”

Blurred Lines was written as both a performance and conversation — the hour-long show is followed by a 20-minute talkback session with the audience.

“One of most powerful parts of the show is the talkback discussion,” said Greer Morris. “Many audience members have personally experienced assault, so it can get very emotional.”

The work focuses on sexual assault.

Despite the deep subject matter of Blurred Lines, Greer Morris stressed that the tenor of the show is not depressing.

“We have a song and dance number, and some levity thrown in,” she said. “Sometimes you need to use humor to deal with dark subjects.”

Girl Be Heard also sponsors afterschool programs at 12 Title 1 schools, said Greer Morris. Participants engage in a full curriculum that focuses on personal development, artistic skills, and even activism.

“We consider Girl Be Heard to be a movement, not just a theater company,” remarked Greer Morris.

Students also discuss topics such as body image, sexism, eating disorders, depression and suicide.

“We’re investing in youth for life – it’s not just an hour lecture,” said Greer Morris. “We’re really looking to have a transformative effect on the lives of these young women.”

Blurred Lines will be performed at HERE, located at 145 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, on February 16, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m., and February 19 at 2 p.m.